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Breast Augmentation Alternative

For more than 10 years, American women's alternatives for breast augmentation have been limited to saline-filled breast implants, that is until a new breast augmentation alternative came along:  the "gummy bear implant" or cohesive gel implant. Cohesive gel breast implants are a soft and natural feeling breast augmentation alternative. Many women who are dissatisfied with their current breast size are turning to this new breast augmentation alternative to make their breasts larger and/or fuller. Also, cohesive gel implants don't leak if the implant shell is broken.

Advantages

The "gummy bear implant" has all the advantages of the traditional silicone implant and more.

  • Eliminates the two biggest problems of traditional silicone implants: rupture and leakage.
  • Due to tighter molecular bonds in the silicone, cohesive gel is semi-solid. If the silicone rubber shell of one of these implants is cut or punctured, it maintains its shape and does not leak. Cutting into a cohesive gel implant is a little like cutting into a "gummy bear," hence it's name.
  • The semi-solid gel implants also feel softer and more natural than saline implants and are also less likely to wrinkle.
  • It is the first, truly "shape stable" saline breast augmentation alternative implant for more natural augmentations, especially for small breasts. Unlike liquid-filled implants such as saline and liquid silicone, a high-strength cohesive gel implant maintains its shape and upright position, which decreases the incidence of the implant shell folding and the development of rippling.
  • In Europe, this "gummy bear" implant has been used for years, and the use of its saline counterpart is almost non-existent. But with the stigma that has attached itself to any concept of a silicone implant in this country, it is difficult to reverse tradition, even when clinical information points to a safer and better alternative.
The "Gummy Bear Implant" Not The Best Option?

Good news aside, however, there are instances when this breast augmentation alternative may not be the best option.

Anything larger than D-cup would require too big of an implant and would look unnatural.

For patients who are seeking massive reconstruction after masectomy, the cohesive gel would not offer the best results.

This breast augmentation alternative surgery takes a different approach then traditional saline or silicone implants. The "gummy bear" implant has to be placed through an incision made at the lower breast crease because the implant won't fold like other types. The implant is placed between the breast gland and pectoral muscle, and than the incision is sewn up. The incision has been virtually invisible in all cases so far.

Of course, there is certainly some amount of pain associated as with any operation, and it may take a few weeks until the breasts are looking the way they should.

Compared to much higher saline re-operation rates and other complications, it has only been a year and there are still no long-term studies of how the implants perform years and decades down the road.

There are also possible complications in addition to the possibility of a blood clot, infection, and other possible problems that accompany any major surgery performed under general anesthesia. With "gummy bear" implants there is also the possibility of wrinkling and capsular contracture, in which scar tissue surrounding the implant collapses around it, making it feel hard, although instances of both are greatly decreased compared to other types of implants.

These new implants are approved for an FDA clinical trial and can be used in all applications including breast enlargement, breast reconstruction and breast augmentation. However, this new cohesive gel implant is available only to patients taking part in FDA trials, and there are only 23 doctors that can perform implantation with the product as a part of these trials.